A Mother's Struggle
by Heartbroken1
Summary: Quil’s imprint is a difficult for everyone to understand. It’s especially hard for Claire’s parents. They must now struggle with what all of this means for the future of their little girl.
1. Scary Secret

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended. 

A Mother's Struggle...by Heartbroken1

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Chapter One - Scary Secret 

I had heard of the superstitions regarding the Quileute tribe. As a teenager, my friends and I even joked about them. But I never imagined that they might actually be true. Nor did I consider the possibility that they would _ever_ affect me or my family.

My husband and I were not happy when Emily, Sam and another Quileute boy showed up on our doorstep. The boy holding our beloved Claire in his arms. Her big brown eyes looked up at him adoringly. He carefully tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and gently kissed her on the forehead. She giggled.

I felt my eyes widen as fear and anger built in my stomach. I forced my lungs to accept the oxygen I was giving them and stepped forward, snatching my baby girl from the grasp of this teenage pervert.

"Quil!" my little girl screamed as she began crying, reaching for him. She struggled desperately against my hold.

Her outburst caught me by surprise. Not only was she usually a mama's girl, but she had a very limited vocabulary. Most of her words were the standards for a little girl barely two-years-old; hi, mama, dada and a muttering that resembled 'ranger' for our dog. But Quil, that was a difficult word and she'd said it so clearly. Not to mention the intensity of her cries; it was almost as if her little heart were breaking.

I tried to comfort her, but she only looked over my shoulder and screamed for this boy named Quil. I watched him suspiciously. His eyes never left her; agony filled them, almost as if he felt the pain she was putting a voice to. I watched as his arm twitched slightly and wondered if he was fighting the urge to take her away from me -- something I would never allow.

I glanced over to notice that my husband was balling his fists and clenching his teeth as Sam began explaining the events of this afternoon. Sam told us that under normal circumstances a parent would not be informed of the secret internal workings of the wolves. But since we were the parents of a very special little girl, we needed to understand.

My head was spinning as Claire continued to shriek. I felt the tears of fear and frustration threatening to make an appearance. Emily gently placed her hand on my arm, asking for permission before gingerly taking my baby from my arms. Emily's eyes were kind and pleaded for my understanding. I wanted to grab my little girl and run away, instead every ounce of my body was completely frozen except for the lone tear rolling down my cheek. Claire's screams slowed as Emily made her way over to this boy who stood nervously in our kitchen, claiming to be Claire's soul mate.

As soon as Quil reached out to Claire, her fussing ceased immediately. She threw her arms around his neck and giggled. I understood in that moment, this 'imprinting' thing wasn't just affecting _him_...

It seemed that Claire had accepted Quil's imprint too.


	2. Protective Father

I appreciate all of the support from my reviewers! THANKS!! -- Thanks to _not done baking _for beta-ing!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter 2 - Protective Father 

My husband slammed the door with such force our entire house shook, leaving only our little family safely within its walls.

"What the hell was all that?" he yelled at me, his eyes frantically searching mine for answers I didn't have.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of it either," I answered him quietly -- honestly.

He scooped his little princess into his arms and held her tightly, kissing her on the forehead. "I love you, baby girl," he whispered. "Never forget your daddy loves you." I gently pried her out of his arms and began changing her clothes for bed. "Who is this Quil kid?" he snarled at me.

"Quil," Claire said, giggling.

My husband bristled as she stated the boy's name so sweetly. I ignored his reaction, zipping up the front of her footie pajamas.

"Okay, lovey, it's time for bed." I lifted her by the hands, helping her steady herself before patting her bum lightly.

"Nigh', Nigh'," she laughed, toddling over to give her daddy a kiss.

"I'll see you in the morning," he promised, kissing her on the cheek. I scooped Claire into my arms, carrying her to bed. I held her tightly in my arms a moment longer than usual, trying to digest the events of the afternoon. I laid her down, covering her with a blanket. I flipped off the light and reluctantly closed the door.

Rounding the corner, I watched my husband pacing back and forth in our small living room, his face contorted with anger, frustration and fear.

"We have to leave." He stopped, staring through me, his mind seemed to be spinning even worse than mine. "I will not allow _him_ to take her away from us!" he roared. "She's two!"

"Jonathan, you need to calm down," I said quietly.

"She's two!" he yelled again, narrowing his brow and turning red. The vein in his forehead pulsed, straining against the skin.

"Yes, she _is_ two and you're going to wake her." I was surprised at how rational I sounded. I walked over, wrapping my arms securely around him. His tense body relaxed at my embrace.

"What are we going to do, Elinore?" his voice cracked and I felt his head shaking against the top of mine.

There was a light knock on the door which startled me. I walked over, opening the barrier between us and the outside world. For the second time tonight, Quil Ateara was standing on our front porch.

"Please, Mrs. Whitehorse," he muttered, placing his hand on the door, making it so I couldn't close it. I glared at him. He smiled weakly as he continued, "Please. May I speak with you and your husband? I want to explain."

"I think we've heard enough explanations for tonight," I snapped, yanking unsuccessfully at the door.

"It's okay, Ellie," my husband's warm voice soothed my tensions. He placed one hand on my shoulder and extended the other to Quil. He shook it. "I'd like to explain some things to him as well." There was a hint of animosity under the calm tone Jonathan was using and it made me a bit nervous. "Please come in, Quil. It is Quil, right?" he asked. I stifled a giggle. He knew full well the boy's name.

"Yes. Thank you, sir," Quil said politely.

Jonathan waved his arm toward the couch and sat in the chair facing it.

"Would either of you like something to drink?" I inquired, being the perfect hostess.

"No, thank you," Quil said, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck so hard, I wondered if he was actually taking skin off.

"I think we're okay, sweetie," Jonathan smiled, patting the armrest for me to join in the conversation. "You said you had something you wanted to explain," he coolly reminded Quil.

He cleared his throat, rubbed his hand slightly over his lips and began speaking, "Yes, sir. I know this is a really weird thing and I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now." He looked at me and then back at Jon, who remained silent. "It's hard for me to accept as well. You probably thought I was some teenage pervert."

I laughed nervously as he used the exact term I had in my mind. He looked at me, smiling shyly.

"I assure you that it's nothing like that." He raked his fingers through his hair, pausing to think. "The best way I can explain it is this..." He paused again. "I will be whatever it is that Claire needs -- a brother figure, a friend, a protector..."

"A husband?" Jon snarled.

"Someday, when she's much, much older."

"What if she doesn't want to be your wife?" I questioned, unsure of how I would feel being _told_ I had to marry a certain man.

"Ultimately, it will be Claire's choice, but I assure you there is no other woman..." My husband choked at his word selection. "for me. Claire is my soul mate, the one my heart will love forever. I hope that when she is old enough to make that choice, I will have proven myself worthy of her heart." He sighed considering a future with our baby girl.

"So are you expecting to just waltz out of here with _our _daughter?" Jon asked incredulously.

"Oh no, sir," he stammered. "You are her parents. I just want to be allowed to hang around -- to be what Claire needs." He smiled weakly. "I will respect your wishes."

Neither of us spoke in response to his statement. I, for one, didn't know what to say. I glanced over at the emotionless face of _my_ soul mate and waited for what he would say next.

"You're not going to take her away from us?" he finally asked.

"No, sir."

"And you're not some weirdo who's interested _that way_ in our two-year-old?"

"Ew," he wrinkled his nose, "no, sir." For the first time since all of this had begun, I felt a hint of relief.

"You'll abide by whatever rules we set as she's growing up?"

"Yes, sir."

A cry from the other room stopped my heart. Jon's whole body tensed. Quil stood.

"I've caused enough turmoil for you today," he said softly.

"Very well," Jon grumbled, getting to his feet. I excused myself, knowing that Quil did not want to leave our house.

When I got to Claire's room, she'd managed to work herself into hysterics. She was still dry and I knew she wasn't hungry. I rocked her, humming her favorite lullaby. After only a few minutes, she calmed and drifted back to sleep. I laid her carefully back in her crib and returned to the living room.

"Is she okay?" Quil asked anxiously, looking at the wall where Claire was again sleeping on the other side.

"She's fine," I smiled. "She needs her mommy now and then, but she goes right back to sleep."

"It's _normal_ for her to cry like that?" his anxiety growing.

"She's fine," I assured him again. "Babies cry."

"I know. It's just..." he let his thought trail off.

"Quil, I respect that you feel protective of her," I began. My husband choked. I glared at him. "You have to remember that she's a little girl. As much as all of us here want to prevent her from ever feeling pain, it is inevitable. She _will _get hurt." I knew my words were true and hated that fact.

"I will do whatever I can to prevent that," Quil promised.

I took comfort knowing that now Claire had another person to look out for her. I liked this Quil kid and felt confident that he would _never_ hurt our baby girl.


	3. Acceptance

Thanks to all of my readers for your support! Thanks to jashaw for beta-ing this chapter.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter Three - Acceptance

Here I lay, in the dark, staring at the wall. My mind was racing and I tried to calm myself by listening closely to the even breathing of my sweet baby girl that was coming through the baby monitor. 

Lying next to me was the love of my life -- my soul mate. His breathing was slow and steady. But the lack of snoring told me he had not found the peaceful slumber both of us needed after our horribly trying day.

I heard him roll over and turned to meet him. The moonlight coming through the window was just enough for me to see his beautiful, dark eyes filled with worry. I wanted to simply get lost in them and comfort his pain away. He kissed my forehead softly.

"Ellie," his voice cracked as he said my name.

"We'll get through this," I assured him.

He pulled me into his strong embrace and I again, melted at his touch. He ran his fingers through my hair.

"What are we going to do?"

"Nothing," I said softly.

"Nothing?" His body tensed around mine. "Are you crazy?" he growled.

"I would move heaven and earth to protect my family, you know that, right?"

"Um hum," he mumbled. But his response sounded more like a question than that he actually believed it.

"Jonathan," I spoke quietly, "I don't believe Quil would ever do anything to hurt Claire."

"I don't believe he'd hurt her," he agreed. "But… I can't get over the age difference. It's just plain creepy. I mean, really, Ellie. In 16 years, when she's of legal age, he's going to be older than you and I are now." He bristled against me and goosebumps covered my skin. I hadn't looked at it that way. I shuddered against him. "I just don't want Claire to be taking care of a man who's ready to die when she still has so much life to live."

"You and I can't make that decision for her," I reminded him. "Quil said that she will have the choice someday. We just have to trust she'll follow her heart instead of some warped sense of obligation."

"I will not allow her to marry a man she doesn't love," he growled. The ever protective father coming out in him.

"Nor will I," I assured him, pressing my lips to his. "I can't imagine being stuck in a loveless marriage."

He buried his head into my neck and left a trail of kisses up to my lips. He wrapped his arms around me, securing my body to his. I laid my ear against his warm chest and listened to his heartbeat. I drew circles with my finger against his skin.

I hoped that someday my daughter would understand the love and adoration I felt for her father. I wanted nothing more than for her to feel loved and protected by her husband. When Jonathan looked at me, I felt like the most beautiful woman in the world. This too was a desire I had for her. More than that, though, it was something she deserved.

When his breathing steadied and the snoring began, the sound lulled me into the peaceful slumber that had been eluding me for so many hours.

XOXOXOX

It had been weeks since we'd seen Quil, but that didn't mean he wasn't present. He was ever present in my thoughts. Since that first night, Jon and I had kept our thoughts on the subject to ourselves.

Today, however, I was afraid that all of that was going to change. Emily had called and invited us to the Easter dinner in La Push. It was some sort of tradition and they were excited to have us join.

The phone rang a little over a week ago and I hurried to answer it, rubbing my wet hands on a dish rag. "Hello?"

"Elinore, it's Emily."

"Oh, hi." Ever since all of this had occurred, my relationship with my sister had been slightly stressed. I hated the resentment I felt toward her and knew I was being utterly ridiculous.

"We're having… There's going to be… I'd love…" her sweet voice was shaking. The strain between us was having its toll on her as well it seemed.

"Emily, it's okay," I assured her. "Please just spit it out."

"We'd love for you to come to the annual Easter dinner here in La Push," she whispered, the words rushing out in a jumble.

"That sounds really nice. What can I bring?" I slapped my palm to my forehead, wanting to take back my stupidity. Taking our baby girl into the wolf's den was not at all a pleasant thought. I gulped at the knot growing in my throat.

"If it's not too much trouble, could you make one of your pecan pies?"

"Okay."

"I'm so glad you decided to accept the invitation. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," I conceded.

She was on the verge of giddy when she spoke again, "It's at noon on Easter Sunday at the Clearwater's."

"Can we just meet you at your house and ride over together?" I asked, not wanting to arrive before my sister -- my only ally in La Push.

"That would be fine. Just be here about 11:30."

"See you then," I sighed. Moments later, Jonathan strolled through the door, wiping his hands on a shop cloth and whistling that happy little tune that always gave away his good mood. "Hi," I muttered, hoping he didn't hear the anxiety in my voice. No such luck.

"What's wrong?"

"Emily called."

"And?"

"We've been invited down to La Push for their annual Easter dinner."

"And?"

I stared at him, avoiding the argument I knew was coming.

"You said no, right?"

"Um…"

"Oh, Ellie," he groaned.

I bit on my lip. "I know. I just really miss her."

"I know," he pulled me into an embrace that comforted my anxiety away. "I'm sorry you're in such a tough position."

_What? He's sorry? _That didn't at all go as I expected.

XOXOXOX

Jon held Claire tightly in his arms as we approached the group. People were everywhere. The most noticeable were the large teenage boys, I could only assume shared Quil's secret.

We were only a few feet away from the car when Claire shrieked, "Quil!" Her little arms whipping her daddy across the face as he struggled to hold on to her.

Quil was standing across the yard, his eyes already focused on her angelic face. He looked at Jon silently asking for permission to approach us. Jon nodded slightly and he bounded over to meet us.

"Claire! How's my girl?" he spoke so soft and sweet to her.

She continued to fight against the steel grip of her father. He tried everything within his power to discourage her wanting this boy. Ultimately, though, he passed her over to Quil. Claire's giggles growing softer as they returned to the group Quil had been with before.

"Is this going to be the story of our lives?" Jon grumbled under his breath. "He shows up and…"

"Welcome," an older woman I recognized as Mrs. Clearwater came out of the house. "We're so glad you could join us."

"Thank you for the invitation," I replied in a manner that would have made my mother proud. "Can I help with anything?"

"Just relax. We're almost ready."

The amount of food strewn along the tables was incredible. I'd never seen so much.

"Have you ever seen so much food?" Jon whispered, ducking his head toward my ear.

I shook my head back and forth in response.

Above the noise, a loud bell rang signaling that everything was ready. People hurried from every corner of the yard. Quil ran toward us with Claire riding on his shoulder, squealing in delight.

"Okay, sweet girl, it's time to eat." He slid her carefully from his shoulders and into a chair. He pulled the chair out next to her, but paused staring into Jon's face.

A composed mask met his questioning glance. I shot a scowl at Jon and smiled at Quil, nodding.

Quil sat next to Claire and I watched as the day progressed into late afternoon and finally evening. Quil never left Claire's side, helping her with whatever she needed. While his friends played football, horseshoes and other various games, he took Claire for piggyback rides and even held her tenderly when she fell asleep on his shoulder.

At one point, she was giggling so hard, she fell down when he was pretending to chase her and she kept evading his touch. She enjoyed being with him -- and he with her. I scrutinized his every action, searching for the clues that something sinister was in his heart. But never found anything that even came close.

Jon and I sat in the camp chairs around the huge bonfire and he squeezed my hand. I looked up into his eyes for the first time in hours. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah, will you get Claire?"

I followed his gaze over to where Quil was holding Claire in his lap, reading her stories. "I'd rather not."

"Chicken?"

"No," he sighed. "I just don't want to hear her scream when I take her from _him_."

I laughed, "Okay. Let's say our goodbyes and then _I'll _get her just before we head to the car."

"Deal," he chuckled, kissing my forehead.

We walked over to Emily and Sam first. "Thank you so much for the invitation. We had a great time," I muttered, realizing it wasn't a lie.

"I'm so glad you decided to come," Emily said, pulling me into a hug. "I've missed you."

"I know. I've missed you too."

She kept a hold on my hand and lifted her gaze to my little girl. "I think they had a good time too."

"Yeah," I resigned. "I don't think she's ever laughed like that." I turned back to face Sam and he stuck out his hand. I pulled him into a hug, pressing my cheek to his chest. "Thanks, Sam."

"Um, you're welcome." I pulled away and took my place by Jonathan's side. "But for what?"

"For giving me the time to process this whole thing. For letting me see what it's all about."

Jon wrapped her arm around my shoulder and I knew he, too, had come to grips with what had transpired. His chuckle warmed my heart, "Let's just keep this between us though. We'd hate for Quil to be too comfortable around me just yet."

Laughter consumed our little group. A sweet voice beckoned to Jon, "Daddy." We turned to see Claire toddling over to us with Quil a few steps behind.

"I figured it would be easier on her if she left me, instead of the other way around."

"Thank you," I smiled, lifting her into my arms. "Say bye bye to Quil, love."

"Bye bye."

She waved until he was no longer visible and drifted into a peaceful sleep for the ride home.

"Are you really okay with all of this?" Jonathan whispered.

"Yes. Are you?"

"I _think_ so."


End file.
